Pothole fillers working in overdrive this year

Columbus resident Pat Warner got used to the potholes, ruts and seam splits she faced on her daily commute along I-270 this past spring.

Columbus resident Pat Warner got used to the potholes, ruts and seam splits she faced on her daily commute along I-270 this past spring.

Warner, a florist who lives on the East Side and works in Grove City, said she knew where the rough patches were.

“It was really bad this spring,” she said. “But you can tell they’ve worked on it.”

Central Ohio saw a lot of road problems after a cold, nasty winter. Crews with the Ohio Department of Transportation, Franklin County and the city of Columbus are still working on repairs.

Rick Tilton, a spokesman for the Columbus Department of Public Service, said the city has repaired almost 140,000 potholes this year. Last year, the city filled about 97,000 in the same period.

The state measures its work in tons of material used to patch potholes and fill gaps between lanes.

Transportation spokeswoman Nancy Burton said the state used 800 tons of material in Franklin County through May. In all of 2010, it used about 1,500 tons.

Burton said bad weather and busy roads spell trouble.

“You have to consider the population of Franklin County, and you take into consideration the average daily traffic is 138,000 drivers a day on I-70,” she said.

Some spots are worse than others, Burton said, including areas along I-71 where there are gaps between lanes, potholes and other rough material.

She said sections of I-71 are candidates for “spot paving,” which is more than just pothole patching.

Burton said ODOT is accepting bids for spot paving along I-71 in Franklin and Delaware counties. She said the department hopes to start in August.

Franklin County highway superintendent Tom Nutini said the county has used slightly more than 8 tons of mix to fill potholes this year. At the same time, he said the county has heard only 12 complaints from residents.

In June, seven complaints about vehicle damage caused by state-maintained roads were logged on the state transportation department’s website.

Out on the roads, however, area residents say there is plenty to talk about.

German Village resident Kayla Merchant said the roads near her house cost her $400. She had to replace the sway bar in the suspension system on her Honda Accord.

“It’s been pretty intense,” she said.

Ann Monahan, who commutes to her Columbus job from Rocky River in northeastern Ohio, said the highway near Polaris Fashion Place is rough, but she has seen improvements.

Another plus this summer: “No construction on the roads helps with traffic, too, which makes the drive better,” she said.